Chapter 106: News of the Ice Stone

"Only me?" Lily Rhodes looked at Silas Jennings with suspicion.

Silas nodded firmly. "That’s right. You’re the only one who has a chance of getting it."

Speaking of this, Silas couldn’t help but recall the message he had received from his future self right before boarding the ship.

The previous two times, she had initiated contact, but this time, his future self had reached out to him.

Through a brief exchange, he learned that her actions during the fishing event had altered the timeline. His future self had risen from an ordinary Survivor to one of considerable renown. He had even interacted with Lily, establishing a cordial, albeit superficial, relationship.

But that sliver of goodwill wasn’t enough to make Lily fully back him. Simply put, his current achievements weren’t enough to earn him a spot as her friend. Therefore, the future Silas hoped the present Silas would keep up the effort, providing him with a golden opportunity: this Doomsday Cruiser.

The Doomsday Cruiser was essentially a rest stop for Survivors. As long as one had enough Crystal Cores, they could live on board until the end of time. However, it was also a gentle trap.

Once a person’s Crystal Cores were insufficient to cover their expenses, they would be forcibly detained to work off their debt. All the staff members they had encountered earlier used to be Survivors themselves.

The true opportunity hidden on the Doomsday Cruiser was the jigsaw puzzles.

Each cruiser contained three to five puzzle pieces.

This particular ship held five target items. Two were already in his possession. The remaining three were exactly as he had described: one on the first floor, one on the second, and the last on the top floor.

Yielding ownership of the island to Lily was also part of his plan. He hoped to use this gesture to forge a deeper bond with her, aiming to at least become her friend.

A calculating gleam flashed through Silas’s eyes at the thought.

Lily noticed it, but she didn’t call him out.

For some unknown reason, she recently felt her five senses becoming much sharper.

Sometimes, she could sense the movements around her without even needing to look.

As for Silas, he was useful to her, at least for now. Furthermore, she hadn’t sensed any malice from him; their relationship was merely one of mutual exploitation.

Lily found this acceptable. After all, she was using him too. As for whether his claims about the puzzle pieces were true, she would find out soon enough.

"Alright, I get it. Tell me where the puzzle piece is."

Hearing this, Silas led her to the entertainment district.

The moment they stepped inside, rows of machines greeted their eyes. Many Survivors sat before them, staring at the screens with sheer excitement.

"Don’t tell me the item is inside one of these machines," Lily said.

If Silas nodded, she was going to suspect he was a shill for the Doomsday Cruiser, specifically sent to scam her out of her money.

Fortunately, he didn’t nod. Instead, he led her further inside. A moment later, the two arrived at a massive swimming pool.

The area was packed with people diving into the water in droves, leaving the pool incredibly crowded.

"The item is blue, and it’s in the water. Do you see those staff members around? You need to find the puzzle piece and leave without drawing their attention."

Lily stared at the pool and fell silent.

In truth, finding an item underwater was no difficult task for someone with the Water Manipulation Skill. The real question was how Silas knew about it.

Ever since their first meeting, this man had approached her as if he already held all the answers.

"Understood."

Although she had grown highly suspicious of him, she didn’t let it show.

She wondered if the titles she obtained could be transferred.

With that thought in mind, Lily went to the locker room to change into a swimsuit. After stretching to warm up her body, she slipped into the water.

She swam and splashed around just like everyone else. In reality, she was using Water Manipulation to search beneath the surface, inch by inch.

The pool was massive. It would take a considerable amount of time to sweep the entire area. To make matters worse, the presence of so many other people meant the tiny puzzle piece could constantly shift positions due to the shifting currents.

Two hours later.

Lily surfaced and waded toward the edge.

After returning to the locker room, she dried off and changed back into her regular clothes. Opening her palm, she revealed a transparent blue puzzle piece resting quietly in her hand.

She tucked the blue piece away, turned, and left the area, heading straight for the second floor.

Silas was already waiting for her.

"Here’s what I found."

He slid two equally blue puzzle pieces and a cup of milk tea toward her.

Lily took the milk tea and discreetly pocketed the two pieces. "Are you sure you feel safe leaving these with me?"

Silas shrugged with utter nonchalance. "I was going to give them to you anyway. Sooner or later makes no difference, as long as you don’t forget what you promised me. Besides, I have a piece of information that will definitely be useful to you."

"What information?" Lily asked.

"It’s about the attribute stones. You publicly announced you were purchasing them not too long ago. I know where one of the Ice Stones is located."

Lily’s eyes flickered. "What do you want for it?"

Silas thought for a moment. "I want a meal card. The food here might be free, but the taste doesn’t even come close to The Supreme Shop. Furthermore, the food from The Supreme Shop only yields benefits if consumed long-term."

"Fine. I can give you a meal card valid for one month."

"Only a month?" Silas asked.

"First of all, a month is a long time. Secondly, while this information is important to me, it remains unverified. It’s just a tip. If you can actually deliver that Ice Stone to me, I’ll give you a lifetime free meal card, for the sake of our past collaborations," Lily said, taking a sip of her milk tea.

"Are you serious?" Silas asked.

Lily nodded. "Of course."

She didn’t chat with him much longer after that. Her time here was limited, and she had already wasted several hours down at the pool. She planned to spend her remaining time properly exploring the second floor.

"It’s been so long since I’ve experienced the joy of shopping. I really missed this."

Lily stepped out of a boutique, leaving behind a beaming salesclerk.

In that single store alone, she had just spent at least ten thousand Crystal Cores. The items she purchased would be delivered directly to her room or her vehicle.